Sarah Haskins Montgomery, 84, passed away on the morning of Monday, May 4, 2009, at South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel, Mississippi. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Bay Springs. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 at the funeral home.
Sarah Montgomery was born April 8, 1925, in Neshoba County, Mississippi, as the third child of Leslie George Haskins and Alma Watkins. She was reared in Neshoba County and attended East Central Community College and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in home economics. She taught school in Louin, Mississippi, at an early age and met her husband Elton Montgomery. Together they opened Bay Springs Florist on April 18, 1948, which is one of the oldest businesses in Bay Springs and has won many floral awards.
Sarah Montgomery married Elton Roland Montgomery on June 6, 1946, and enjoyed a happy life together for 28 years. Sarah was a long-time member of Bay Springs United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Alma Watkins Haskins and Leslie George Haskins; husband Elton Roland Montgomery; sister Mary Haskins Tips; brother James Watkins Haskins; niece Mary Elizabeth Felker and nephew Thaddeus Watkins Haskins. She is survived by her son, Senator Less Haskins Montgomery and daughter-in-law Diana McDonald Montgomery; her granddaughters Heather Montgomery Hunt, Salli Montgomery Hobson and Anna Haskins Montgomery Patton; and three great grandchildren: Hadley Montgomery Hunt, Clark Campbell Hobson and Mallory Lousie Hobson; two great nieces, three great nephews, six great-great nieces, seven great-great nephews and two great-great-great nephews.
Sarah will be remembered by many as a loving, fun, generous, and caring person who brought joy to many with the flowers she created. She was known as “Di” to many and will be greatly missed.